This blog was created for the spiritual enhancement of members of the Fellowship of Orthodox Christian University Students (F.O.C.U.S) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. It will allow members and fellow Orthodox Christians around the world to share their experiences of the Orthodox faith. May God be with all of us!
"This is the generation of those who seek the Lord" Psalm 24:6

Saturday, June 25, 2011

What shall we give to the Lord in return for all that He has given us?

What shall we give to the Lord in return for all that he has given us? For our sake, God lived among us. On account of our corrupt nature the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He became the benefactor of the ungrateful, the liberator of those in captivity. He is the sun of righteousness for those sitting in darkness. He who is impassible is on the cross. He is the light in Hades. He is life in death. He is the resurrection of the fallen, and we cry to him: Glory to you, our God.

This hymn is a summary of the whole of true Orthodox Christian theology, the life in Christ, in a simple, yet powerful, verse. It can be said that the texts we read and chant during the Divine services are an unlimited source of theology and poetical beauty.

Here we encounter the profound mystery of Christ: He is Light (John 8:12), He is Life (John 14:6), He is the Resurrection (John 11:25), He is the Word (John 1:1), He is our Benefactor (Hebrews 2:18), Liberator (John 8:32) and Redeemer (Galatians 3:13), the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2) and the Impassible One (John 8:7) (without sins/passions). In a phrase, Christ is all and in all (Colossians 3:11). We are corrupt, we are ungrateful, we are in captivity, we are sitting in darkness, we are dead (emotionally, spiritually and physically) and we are fallen.

All these descriptions of Christ warrant deep contemplation individually, but we will focus on one: Christ is Life. In today’s world where so many brilliant scientific discoveries are made all the time, we still do not have the answer to this fundamental question: What is life? Many a great scientist have studied life and its origins: Darwin, Lamarck, Dawkins, Watson, Crick, Mendel, and the list goes on. Yet the question remains:

What is life?

Metropolitan Tryphon, who wrote the Akathist ‘Glory to God for all things’, gives us the answer:

"Christ is life. The familiar and operative term life is not at all a simple phenomenon. When Darwinism recently brought to the fore the question of life and tried to formulate its essence in precise terms, subjecting it to specific laws, it turns out that even in its biological sense life is one of the most impenetrable mysteries. All scholars halted before this problem of life as before a massive locked door. To describe the process as a chance movement of atoms and electrons, to say that the living cells of the body possess a consciousness, still falls very far short of explaining what life is. All scientific theories can have meaning only as more or less satisfying descriptions of a living process, the source of which apparently lies beyond the boundaries of this life itself. Old Testament Jewish religion affirmed that the source of cosmic life, the earth, the plants, and animals and humans, all lies in God, that is, an independent entity who has no prior origin. As the true Image of God, as God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, in this biological sense has the full justification to declare about Himself: I am the Life."

A certain doctor in Sydney asked a Priest, “Father, it’s been such a long time since you have had a blood test. Don’t you think you should come to me soon?” The Priest’s reply was, “Why do I need a blood test when I have Christ running in my veins?”

"I am the Resurrection and the Life...Do you believe this?" (John 11: 25)

Indeed, when we partake in the Sacramental life of the Church, we can say the same thing. That is the reason why we are brothers and sisters in Christ; not because we have a common ancestor, but because Christ’s blood runs in our veins and He abides in us (John 15:4).

So, Christ through His extreme humility lived among us, for our sake. What else can we possibly chant to Him except these words from the Psalms (Psalm 116:12):

What shall we give to the Lord in return for all that he has given us?

What can we possibly give the Lord Almighty, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the All-Good, our Creator, for giving us Life, Light, Redemption, Resurrection?

The Priest says in the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom and St Basil, “Your own of Your own we offer to You”.

We do not own anything, even our bodies. Everything has its existence in and through God, as it says in the Scriptures, "in whom we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

Our answer is simple, yet profound. We chant to Him, we cry out as it says in the hymn, with all our heart which is the centre of our Personhood:

Orthodox Christian Resources

The one who is perfect in love and has reached the summit of detachment knows no distinction between one’s own and another’s, between faithful and unfaithful, between slave and freeman, or indeed between male and female. But having risen above the tyranny of the passions and looking to the one nature of men he regards all equally and is equally disposed toward all. For in him there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither male nor female, neither slave nor freeman, but Christ is everything and in everything.

~ St Maximus the Confessor

Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian- The Lenten Prayer:

O Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of laziness, meddling, ambition and gossip.

But grant to me your servant, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love.

Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own sins and faults, and not to judge my brother or sister, for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

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I want whoever is near me to feel that he has room to breathe, not that he is suffocated. I don’t call anyone to me. I don’t hold onto anyone. I don’t chase anyone away. Whoever wants comes, whoever wants stays, whoever wants leaves. I don’t consider anyone a supporter or a follower ~ Elder Epiphanios

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My heart only has entrances. It doesn’t have exits. Whoever enters remains there. Whatever he may do, I love him the same as I loved him when he first entered into my heart. I pray for him and seek his salvation.

St John Chrysostom

St Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol

St Gregory Palamas

Prayers for Students

Christ my Lord, the Giver of light and wisdom, who opened the eyes of the blind man and transformed the fishermen into wise heralds and teachers of the gospel through the coming of the Holy Spirit, shine also in my mind the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grant me discernment, understanding and wisdom in learning. Enable me to complete my assignments and to abound in every good work, for to You I give honour and glory.
Amen.

Prayers Before Study
Most blessed Lord, send the grace of Your Holy Spirit on me to strengthen me that I may learn well the subject I am about to study and by it become a better person for Your glory, the comfort of my family and the benefit of Your Church and our Nation. Amen

Christ, the true light, who enlightens and sanctifies every person coming into the world, let the light of Your countenance shine upon me (us) that I (we) may see Your unapproachable light; and guide my (our) steps in the way of Your commandments, through the intercessions of Your all-holy Mother and of all the Saints. Amen.

Prayer After StudyI thank You, Lord our God, that again on this occasion You have opened my eyes to the light of Your wisdom. You have gladdened my heart with the knowledge of truth. I entreat You, Lord, help me always to do Your will. Bless my soul and body, my words and deeds. Enable me to grow in grace, virtue and good habits, that Your name may be glorified, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

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The heart itself is but a small vessel, yet dragons are there, and there are also lions; there are poisonous beasts and all the treasures of evil. But there too is God, the angels, the life and the kingdom, the light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasuries of grace—all things are there. ~St. Makarios